Rattlesnake Trail Bike Ride

It is summer bike riding time and the main Rattlesnake Trail is a great place to do it! Let's meet up in the trailhead parking lot (https://www.google.com/maps/@46.9250771,-113.9615157,18z), go up the main (515) trail to (perhaps) Franklin Bridge (https://missoulian.com/rattlesnake-nra/pdf_e1283790-8ccb-5b05-b040-b3dd6969f84c.html), have a rest and some refreshments, and turn around and enjoy the ride back down. This site (https://www.strava.com/segments/4195073) shows the altitude gain, a very approachable 620 feet in slightly less than 8 miles. Depending on everyone's interest we could go for a late lunch either at the Rattlesnake Market and Cafe (http://rattlesnakemarket.com/) or another venue in town.

To get there:
Take the Van Buran Street Exit off I-90 on the east end of Missoula and go 4.5 miles north on Rattlesnake Drive. Turn left onto Sawmill Gulch Road to the main parking area and jumping-off point on the west side of Rattlesnake Creek. The road takes off up the old Rattlesnake FR 99, now closed to all motorized recreational travel. The main trailhead has handicapped access toilets and another one 1.5 miles up the main corridor.